I was going to write a post about my friend Stephanie’s visiting bantam chicks. I mean they’re tiny. And super cute. See:

Spring Break visitors: 8 bantam chicks

But, ever since the demise of the roosters, I’ve been waiting for the day we could have chicks. That day is today! Tony over at Traverse City Urban Chickens coordinated the chick order for us. We placed the order a long time ago but because of the numbers and varieties of chicks we selected, we had to wait until now for the “stars to align”. Our chicks hatched yesterday and arrived this morning. Nine little girls in a box.

The box the babes popped out of.

The little box is so cute. Tony let me take it to transport my three girls home from his house. He has pictures of all the girls in the box and of the girls shortly after their arrival here. He also has an amazing brooder that I’m sure he’ll share some pictures of when he gets a minute.

We’re reusing the guinea pig cage brooder that we used for our first four chicks, but I gotta tell ya, day-old-chicks are so much cuter than month-old-chicks.

They like to stand in the food to eat but the chick feeder is way too big right now.

Our day-old chicks are already as big as Steph’s banty chicks but they are all fluff. It will take a while for their feathers to come in. I’ll post pictures regularly, but don’t count on daily a la “Three Chicks a Day“; that’s been done already. However, these girls are different varieties so the pics’ll be different even if I did opt to follow in Josh Elliot’s footsteps.

When I ordered my chicks I chose them based on the characteristics of the adults. I had forgotten what the chicks looked like and was surprised at how dark my little ladies are.

Are you ready to meet them?

This is Hermione, a Golden-Laced Wyandotte.

Here's Luna Lovegood. I named her that because she'll lay "Loony" blue, green or pink eggs.

Bellatrix LeStrange. I hope she isn't evil like her namesake but she'll be black and white.

And, that is why I had to rename Chicken Cacciatore. After we culled the roosters from our flock I started calling her Ginny for Ginny Weasley because she’s a Rhode Island Red. But then I decided that since she’s much older than all my new girls she should have a more mature name. So, her permanent name is Molly Weasley after the matriarch of the Weasley clan.

Molly loves a dust bath.

I’ll introduce the girls to Molly when they’re a little bit older but for now they’re safe in their brooder.